Transfiguration, Part 2

Note that Jesus and the three Apostles go "up the mountain to pray". Bible scholars believe that this mountain was Mount Tabor. In the Bible, many important events occur on top of mountains: Noah's ark comes to rest, Moses receives the Ten Commandments, Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac, Jesus delivers "The Sermon on the Mount". (It would be an interesting Lenten study to research the significance of mountains in the Bible.) Also note that "Jesus prayed". As always, He sets the example for us.

Next, Jesus is physically transformed: "His face was changed in appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white." If Jesus' three chosen companions on this trip had any doubt that He was the Son of God, they sure didn't at this point in the narrative! Catholic theologians interpret this transformation as a means for Jesus to strengthen the resolve of the chosen three shortly before their big test of faith during His Passion and Crucifixion.

This Gospel now ties in beautifully with the second reading. St. Paul says, "He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body by the power that enables Him also to bring all things into subjection to Himself." During the Transfiguration, Jesus reveals His glorified body and gives us hope that our own bodies will "conform with His" in a similar transformation. That hope certainly strengthens my own resolve!

Perhaps you can pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary this week and meditate on what you are learning. These reflections are meant to inspire others to learn more about the mysteries of the Rosary. One caveat, if you use the internet to research the Rosary or the mysteries, please use caution and discernment. There are many sites out there that do not adhere to Catholic teaching (or the Magisterium) even though they call themselves "Catholic". I like to use the site review feature at Catholic Culture to verify questionable sites.

The beautiful icons I've posted with the blog entries are also meant to help facilitate meditation. More on this fascinating mystery tomorrow.

The Transfiguration

As I was driving to Mass this morning, I quizzed my children (ages 10 and 12) on the mysteries of the Rosary. I am always a bit perplexed at some of the "mysteries" they come up with:
"The Washing of the Feet"
"The Nailing to the Cross"
"The Walking on Water"
Eventually, between the two of them and with a few hints from me, they were able to recall all 20 mysteries.

I recently began a weekly practice of reminding my children to listen carefully to the readings, Gospel and homily so that we can discuss them on the way home.

During the Gospel, my son leaned over and whispered, "It's the Transfiguration!" I was proud that he was not only paying attention but was actually able to come up with the title of the 4th Luminous Mystery.

As we drove home, I asked them to recall a few facts about the Transfiguration.
First of all, Jesus chooses just three Apostles for this journey: James, John and Peter. Why these three? Peter's inclusion is obvious given his pivotal role as our first pope. John will also play a big part as an evangelist and as Jesus' chosen caretaker of His belvoed mother. The presence of James is a bit of a puzzle. He was the brother of John and probably a relative of Jesus. Perhaps you can ask St. James for insight the next time you pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

More on the Transfiguration tomorrow...

My Rosary Scrapbook

This blog has been a little buzzing bee in the back of my head because I have great plans for sharing my love for and devotion to the Rosary. However, I've been swatting it away as other priorities demand my attention -- a move to a new state, a growing list of writing assignments, and a book about to be published by Bezalel Books.

Nevertheless, I have been mulling over ideas on how to best proceed with my plans for this blog. An idea hit me just the other day as I was editing my book, The Rosary Workout, for publication. In one section, I suggest building a notebook or scrapbook on the Rosary mysteries as an aid to meditation. It can include Bible verses, artwork depicting the mysteries and thoughts or revelations experienced during meditation. I don't personally keep a Rosary scrapbook, but I have been meaning to start one. I realized that this blog can be my Rosary scrapbook. I can use it to share the knowledge and insight I've gained on the Rosary through years of study and meditation.

I read over my past blog entries, and now I think they are too impersonal. My initial aim was to avoid the ME, ME, ME aspect of blogging. However, the blogs that I enjoy are those written by people who inject their personality into their writing and who share their trials, triumphs and setbacks.

I hope you enjoy my virtual Rosary Scrapbook.

Biblical References for the Rosary Mysteries

Most Catholics pray a 5-decade Rosary, and there is a traditional "rotation schedule" to help you choose which set of mysteries to meditate upon on a given day:

Monday: Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday: Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday: Glorious Mysteries
Thursday: Luminous Mysteries
Friday: Sorrowful Mysteries
Saturday: Joyful Mysteries
Sunday: Glorious Mysteries

The mysteries are usually listed in a timeline order. I‘ve included the virtues, or fruits (more on that in a future post...), along with the Biblical references that describe each event:

Joyful Mysteries:
1. The Annunciation (Humility) Luke 1: 26-38; John 1:14
2. The Visitation (Charity/Love of Neighbor) Luke 1: 39-56
3. The Nativity (Poverty) Luke 2: 6-20; Matthew 1:18-25
4. The Presentation (Obedience) Luke 2: 22-39
5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Joy in finding Jesus; prudence) Luke 2: 41-51

Luminous Mysteries:
1. The Baptism of Jesus (Fidelity to our baptismal promises) Matthew 3:11-17; Luke 3:15-22; John 1:22-34
2. The Wedding Feast at Cana (Faith in Mary‘s intercession and maternal care)
John 2: 1-12
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom (Conversion of heart) Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 5:1-8; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:21
4. The Transfiguration (Become a new person in Christ) Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 17:1-8
5. The Institution of the Eucharist (Love of the Eucharist; active participation at Mass); Matthew 26:26-28; John 6: 33-59

*Note: The five Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, were introduced in 2002 by Pope John Paul II in Rosary of the Virgin Mary.

Sorrowful Mysteries:
1. The Agony in the Garden (True sorrow for sin; repentance) Matthew 26: 36-46;
Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22: 39-46
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Modesty and purity; mortification or self-denial) Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1
3. The Crowning of Thorns (Moral courage; love of our enemies) Matthew 27:29-30;
Mark 15:16-20; John 1: 2-3
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Patience, especially when suffering; fortitude)
Luke 23: 26-32; Matthew 27:31-32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23: 26-32
5. The Crucifixion (Perseverance; mercy) Luke 23: 33-46; Matthew 27: 33-54;
Mark 15: 22-39; Luke 23: 33-47; John 19: 17-37

Glorious Mysteries:
1. The Resurrection (Faith) Matthew 28: 1-10; Mark 16: 1-18; Luke 24: 1-49;
John 20:1-29
2. The Ascension (Hope) Mark: 16: 19-20; Luke 24: 50-51; Acts 1: 6-11
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Love of God; gifts of the Holy Spirit)
Acts 2: 1-41
4. The Assumption* (Grace of a happy death; eternal happiness)
Revelation 12:1
5. Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth* (True devotion to Mary)
Revelation 12:1

* Mary‘s Assumption and Coronation are implied in Revelation Chapter 12 and in other Biblical references, but neither is directly stated in the Bible. Both events are part of Catholic Tradition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Assumption in Sections 966 and 974.

Rosary Mysteries

The Rosary is composed of both verbal and mental prayer. The verbal portion consists of reciting (aloud or silently) the prayers marked by the crucifix, beads, and central medal. The mental portion, or meditation, is the true "soul" of the Rosary. During each decade (10 Hail Marys), we ponder a specific event from the Gospels. These events are known as mysteries. In this case, a mystery is not a puzzle to be solved, but a scene from the lives of Jesus and Mary that can only be partly understood on earth. By meditating on these mysteries, we can better understand them through Divine inspiration.

There are 20 mysteries of the Rosary. They are divided into four sets of five mysteries each:

The Joyful Mysteries:
- The Annunciation
- The Visitation
- The Nativity (Birth of Jesus)
- The Presentation in the Temple
- The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The Luminous Mysteries (Mysteries of Light):
- The Baptism of Jesus
- The Wedding Feast at Cana
- The Proclamation of the Kingdom
- The Transfiguration
- The Institution of the Eucharist

The Sorrowful Mysteries:
- The Agony in the Garden
- The Scourging at the Pillar
- The Crowning with Thorns
- The Carrying of the Cross
- The Crucifixion

The Glorious Mysteries:
- The Resurrection
- The Ascension
- The Descent of the Holy Spirit
- The Assumption
- The Coronation (Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth)

Meditation is a skill which takes time and practice to master. My hope is to enhance your Rosary meditation by covering each of the twenty mysteries of the Rosary individually. I will provide Bible references, links to artwork, and reflections based on years of reading and research. I always welcome contributions from others who have studied and pondered these events.

To Jesus Through Mary

Why pray the Rosary? Why pray to Mary?

First, it is important to understand that Catholics do not WORSHIP Mary. We only worship the three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity-- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. However, we HONOR Mary as the greatest of saints. She was chosen and created by God and was given the gift of a soul free from Original Sin from the first moment of her conception. Catholics refer to this as the Immaculate Conception, and we celebrate this event each year on December 8th.

Note: Many Catholics are confused by the Immaculate Conception and think that it is a celebration of the day that Mary conceived Jesus. This is actually called the Feast of the Annunciation (when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary) and is celebrated on March 25th, nine months before the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day. The feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th) honors the day that Mary was conceived, free of Original Sin, in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. Mary was given this special honor because she was to become the Mother of God (Theotokos, the Greek term). Certainly, the woman who was to conceive, bear and raise the Son of God could not be tainted by sin.

As the Mother of Jesus, Mary was also His first teacher. She taught Him how to walk, how to talk and all the other things a mother teaches a young child. She also teaches us through the Rosary. St. Luke tells us in his Gospel, "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) Through the Rosary, she guides us in reflecting on the events of her Son's life. The Rosary is not a path TO Mary, but a path THROUGH Mary to Jesus, and ultimately to our Heavenly Father.

Mary has appeared to many saints and visionaries, urging them to pray the Rosary. St. Dominic, St. Louis de Montfort, Blessed Alan de la Roche, and St. Lucia of Fatima are just a few of the many saints who spread devotion to the Rosary.

If you are interested in reading more about this subject, I highly recommend The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort:
Order the book: https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage_gr/product_id/37/
Or, read the book online: http://www.rosary-center.org/secret.htm

The Rosary and a Garden

I'm afraid that I've let this blog lie idle for too long. I apologize if you're interested in learning more and have been patiently waiting.

The following excerpt from my ebook, The Rosary Workout, compares the Rosary to a garden:

"The word 'Rosary' comes from the Latin word 'rosarium,' which means 'a rose garden, often circular'. In Catholicism, the images of a garden, a rose and a circle are rich in symbolism.

Place your Rosary in front of you in a circle with the crucifix pointing toward you. The short chain, known as the pendant chain, is like a pathway leading to a garden, which is represented by the circular part of the Rosary. The crucifix marks the opening prayer of the Rosary, The Apostles’ Creed. The Creed (and our corresponding faith) is the key to unlock the garden gate, where Our Blessed Mother will lead us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of the Rosary. The five beads on the pendant chain represent a pathway into the garden as we recite the prayers they represent: The Our Father, three Hail Marys and the Glory Be. The three Hail Mary are traditionally prayed for an increase in the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. The three beads are also said to honor the three persons of the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We enter the garden, or circle of beads, when we begin the first decade of the Rosary. While we’re in the garden, we meditate on five mysteries, leading us to a deeper understanding of the Gospels. We exit the garden after making a final prayer of praise and petition to our Blessed Mother, the Hail Holy Queen.

The Rosary is a path to the garden which we most long to enter: Paradise."